Shadow Syndicate
The Shadow Syndicate is a powerful mercenary guild and a contemporary rival of the Dark Hunters. In contrast to their main competitors, the Syndicate specialize as bodyguards, hired muscle and enforcers. Behind the scenes, it is also a front organization for the mysterious cult known as the Shadow of Ages. History The origins of the Shadow Syndicate are conflicting at best, as different accounts give different stories on how the group was formed. It is rumored the Syndicate had actually existed for many centuries yet with different goals and intentions, only to be reformed into a mercenary legion years later. What is definitely known is that the modern Syndicate was founded by the ex-Dark Hunter Lethal, who formed the guild on the requests of the mysterious cult known as the Shadow of Ages roughly 79,500 years ago. Wishing to have a front organization which could partake in the more public and dangerous operations that would otherwise expose the Shadow of Ages to the universe, the cult's leader, Millennium, provided Lethal with the funds and support necessary to create the group. With the intention being that the Syndicate would do the things the Shadow could not afford to, Millennium established the Syndicate mostly as a puppet organization, and masterminded most of its large-scale affairs, as they woud in some way benefit his cult. Usually, he would have them do things such as stealing arms and equipment, gunrunning, smuggling, kidnapping certain individuals, sabotaging and/or spying on rivals and enemies. Essentially, their purposes was to help Millennium collect and amass the resources and allies he would need to further his goals. Outside of this, Millennium allowed the group to do as it pleased, and all its other operations and activities were held in no regard. Beyond its more secret history and origins, the Shadow Syndicate quickly rose to become one of the most influential and largest crime factions in the Matoran Universe, becoming deeply involved in many ilegal activities, and swiftly became the fiercest rivals of a fellow mercenary group named the Dark Hunters. Due to their efficiency and usefulness, they established good relations with the Brotherhood of Makuta, which were only strengthened when the Brotherhood went to war with the Syndicate's chief rivals, the Dark Hunters. As it gradually expanded, the Syndicate began absorbing more and more of the smaller crime groups, and reorganized them into their ranks. Before it could grow out of control, the Syndicate's expansion was violently halted by the work of countless Toa teams and other heroes throughout the universe, though this did little to stop their operations and activities. In order to maintain healthy business, Lethal began relying on numerous sources outside the Shadow of Ages to provide information and supplies. In one such case, the Syndicate began turning to successful informant Jekart for information, despite his status as a rogue member. They also established a mutually beneficial relationship with the weapon makers on Xia, primarily purchasing their goods from a high-ranking Vortixx named Aretha. When the war between the Order of Mata Nui and the Brotherhood of Makuta began, the Syndicate immediately sided with the Brotherhood due to their strong connections, in contrast with the Dark Hunters' siding with the Order. They supplied and aided the Brotherhood to their full capability, lending their foot soldiers in a number of attacks, invasions, and battles throughout the universe. They even joined the Brotherhood in their last-ditch invasion of Metru Nui, though midway through the battle, decided to abandon their allies to their fate when they realized the tide was against them. Even under Teridax's strict and harsh reign of the universe, the Syndicate flourished greatly, and remained a buzzing center of criminal involvement. Though forced to become more laid-back and subdued due to Teridax's imposing rule, they remained fairly active nonetheless. After the death of Teridax, the majority of the Shadow Syndicate migrated onto the revitalized world of Spherus Magna. Actions *Supplied resources and weapons to the Shadow of Ages. *Fulfilled missions and bounties for numerous employers. *Assisted the Brotherhood of Makuta in the Brotherhood of Makuta/Order of Mata Nui war. *Steal and raid good from numerous fortresses, islands, and factions. Members *Lethal - Leader *Kormak - Skakdi of Sonics *Nightwatcher - Toa of Shadows *Markein - Elusive assassin Former Members *Skorr - Zeverek bounty hunter. *Jekart - A treacherous information broker. Servants Former Servants *Arzok - A Skakdi thug and slaver who was kicked out of the Syndicate. Infrastructure Having been formed by an ex-Dark Hunter, the Shadow Syndicate's infrastructure bears a number of similarities to that of the Dark Hunters. Entry into the Syndicate requires passing a number of psychological and physical trials, and membership is expected for life (facing death otherwise), though at least one exception was made in the form of Jekart, a rogue member who would go on to become an information broker who would supply the Syndicate with valuable intelligence. Despite the similarities in their organizational structures, the Syndicate differed from its rivals in many ways. Because it was spread out so far across the universe, the Shadow Syndicate wasn't disciplined and regimented as those as the Dark Hunters, and instead maintained loose cells on a number of different islands. Despite this, the Syndicate was known for ensuring that its members were efficient, experienced, well-trained, and hand-picked for any mission, based on their specialities. Another thing that differentiated them was that the Syndicate shared out its profits fairly with its operatives to reduce the possibility of its members going rogue due to being unsatisfied. This policy was made in response to Skorr's choice to go rogue in order to gain more profit for himself. The group also kept information about itself a well-kept secret and purposefully vague, in order to prevent their enemies from predicting the nature and strategies their operations follow. Syndicate operatives seem to generally specialize as enforcers or bodyguards, though also accept jobs that are exceptionally violent and destructive. Outside of their mercenary work, the Syndicate also manages a profitable smuggling business that provides a vast deal of their funding. This operation is extremely extensive, and it previously dealt with the smuggling rings present in both Stelt and Metru Nui. Surprisingly, though essentially founded by the Shadow of Ages, very few inside the Syndicate know of its involvement with it, and only the most trusted and elite members know of its ties to Millennium. Having been designed to carry out the missions and tasks that would indefinitely jeopardize the Shadow's secrecy from the rest of the universe, the Syndicate takes it upon itself to provide it with its resources and weapons, do its dirty work, and spy on their enemies. In exchange, the Shadow of Ages provides the Syndicate with information, weapons, and much more. Trivia *The name and whole idea of the Shadow Syndicate was originally created by , who intended them to be a mercenary faction that worked as a front organization for the Legion of Shadows. When he decided to scrap the group from his storyline, Chicken Bond recycled the idea into his storyline with Toa Hydros' permission. Category:Organizations Category:Crime Syndicates